Various client devices, such as laptop computers, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, cellular telephones, digital video recorder (DVR) devices, internet appliances, and other processor-based devices, that communicate with other devices through the use of wireless communication links are becoming nearly ubiquitous. Such wireless client devices are often mobile and thus battery powered, and thus the amount of power available for use by the wireless client device is limited. Even where the client device is not mobile or battery powered the amount of power available to or used by a wireless client device may be limited or otherwise sought to be minimized.
In order to reduce the amount of power consumed by a client device, the client device may be provided with several modes of operation. For example, it is becoming common for client devices to be configured to operate in an “active” mode and an “idle” mode. In an active mode a client device may be receiving and transmitting information, such as operating to actively exchange data with one or more access points or other nodes in a wireless communication system and/or performing other functionality, thereby consuming a higher level of power. In an idle mode a client device may be receiving information only (e.g., substantially non-functional), such as operating only to monitor control channels (e.g., paging channels) and/or user interfaces for a mode change trigger (e.g., “wake up” message), thereby consuming a reduced level of power.
Although consuming appreciably less power when operating in an idle mode than when operating in an active mode, client devices may nevertheless consume an appreciable amount of power when in idle mode. For example, the client device may periodically turn its receiver on to listen for paging messages (e.g., messages that alert the client device to the occurrence of an incoming call and control/overhead messages that carry system information and other information for the client device) over its paging channel. Such cycling of the receiver often results in significant power consumption. For example, for a client device that is compliant with code division multiple access (CDMA) and/or global system for mobile communications (GSM) standards, current consumption in an idle mode may be as high as a few milli-amperes (mA) as a result of cycling the receiver for paging messages.
Recently, proxy devices have been developed to facilitate additional power consumption reductions in association with idle mode operation client devices. Such a proxy device may operate to monitor pages and broadcast information on behalf of one or more client device (e.g., a limited number of client devices depending upon the out of band link capabilities, such as 1-10 client devices; for example 7 client devices for a BLUETOOTH out of band link of embodiments) operating in an idle mode, proxy state with the proxy device. An idle mode proxied client device (i.e., a client device operating in an idle mode, proxy state with the proxy device) may communicate with the proxy device using short range wireless links (e.g., BLUETOOTH, ultra-wideband (UWB), etc.) or other wireless links providing for low power operation (e.g., due to proximity to the proxy device, using more power efficient links, etc.). Although the idle mode proxied client device may cycle a receiver to monitor for a paging message from the proxy device, the particular circuitry used and/or the power consumed by the circuitry used may result in reduced power consumption as compared to idle mode operation without the use of a proxy device. Accordingly, the foregoing idle mode, proxy state operation facilitates power consumption savings which is particularly beneficial with respect to power sensitive mobile client devices.
In addition to the aforementioned idle mode operation, such proxy devices may additionally provide active mode operation with respect to client devices. For example, a client device may connect to a communication network via a proxy device. A proxy device may thus provide proxy operation supporting a client device in an active mode, proxy connected state, such as in response to a paging message received by the client device through the proxy device, for completion of a call by the client device in active mode operation. The use of the proxy device for such active mode, proxy connected state operation may be desirable to provide for reduced power consumption in active mode operation, such as by using short range wireless links or other wireless links providing for low power operation.
However, when one active mode client device enters a connected state (e.g., makes or receives a call), the proxy device cannot simultaneously monitor the paging information for other idle mode proxied client devices while in the connected state for the one active connected mode proxied client device (i.e., a client device operating in an active mode, proxy connected state with the proxy device). Thus, the proxy device either must support the active connected mode proxied client device and discontinue idle mode, proxy state operation with respect to all other client devices (e.g., the other client devices are forced to monitor the pages and broadcast information on their own) or must support the idle mode proxied client devices and forego active mode, proxy connected state operation with respect to the active connected mode client device (e.g., the active connected mode client device is forced to seek a connected state on its own within the communication network).
In both of the foregoing active mode scenarios one or more client devices is unable to enjoy the services of the proxy device. This reduces the potential for power savings with respect to the client devices. Moreover, if the proxy device releases either the active connected mode proxied client device or the idle mode proxied client devices the released device or devices will need to re-connect to the proxy device (e.g., once the call is over) to again enjoy the services of the proxy device. This results in additional signaling messages in the network as well as over the short range wireless link.